Andrew Liszewski

So you left filing your taxes until the last minute, and it turns out that instead of getting a nice fat check in the mail in the coming months, you owe Uncle Sam quite a bit of coin.

As a result it's time to start pinching pennies and living on the cheap, including taking a serious look at your gadget budget. But thanks to hard-working counterfeiters all around the world, you can still own close facsimiles of the latest and greatest electronics. Taxes might be a dirty word on a day like this, but knockoff never has to be.

Just because you have to be stingy with your pocketbook doesn't mean you can't enjoy your free time with some mindless gaming. But have you seen the prices of consoles and games? Why drop hundreds of dollars on a PS3 when the Mini Polystation 3 is probably just as enjoyable.

It comes with seven built-in games, a miniature version of the Playstation dual shock controller, and—get this—a pop-out display. You don't even need to shell money out for a TV, how great is that? While reviews aren't exactly what one would call glowing, the important thing here is that you're saving money.

Going far and above the call of duty as far as knockoff electronics go, the GooApple 3G handset is a remarkable copy of the iPhone 4. But instead of running some bizarre custom operating system, it's running a modded version of Android that looks and mostly feels like using iOS.

So you'll still have access to the Android Market for downloading most of your favorite apps. Now you won't be able to just walk into an Apple store and exchange the phone if something inevitably goes awry, but you also don't need to sell your soul to a wireless carrier to get one at a reasonable price. $270

The only thing more dependable than having to do your taxes every year is having to replace your earbuds. And that might be a good thing. After all, the white earbuds Apple includes with its products aren't the greatest, and they make you a target for thieves.

However, with a pair of Sonias in your ears, you'll just blend into the crowd. And for just four bucks these earbuds are a genuine steal. They're digital, as is clearly labeled on the packaging multiple times, and it looks like Sonia herself makes an appearance giving them her endorsement. Will you find an image of Tim Cook on Apple's packaging endorsing its headphones? We didn't think so. $4

Sometimes there's no shame in wearing a knockoff when no one can actually tell the difference between it and the real thing.

This faux Fortis B-47 watch actually won an award for being so close to the $4,000 original. It might lack the fancy glow-in-the-dark paint found on the more expensive model, and use incorrect symbols for the temperature units, but who cares when you're saving thousands of dollars? It still tells the time, and that's what's really important.

Forget about Duracells or Energizers. When you're counting your pennies not even Panasonic's own brand of AA batteries are in the budget. But these PenesamiGs kind of look like they come from the respected Panasonic brand, right? Who cares if they only last about ten minutes and look slightly misshapen. The fact that they can be squished and easily bent means they'll be easier to install in your TV remote. Try doing that with a pack of Duracells.

You'll have to search extra hard to hunt down the Airbook since Apple's lawyers made short work of its existence. But we have a feeling they're still being secretly churned out somewhere in China, and for just $500 they make for a far cheaper alternative to the MacBook Air.

You won't be privy to a fancy aluminum housing, the Airbook instead opts for silver painted plastic. And while you will find a glowing Apple logo on the lid, on the inside it's strictly a Windows affair. No OS X for you. But no one has to know that as long as you keep the screen hidden while you work. $500